Rockets-Cavaliers Preview

By TAYLOR BECHTOLDPosted Mar 21 2014 3:16PM

Even though they've been without Dwight Howard, the Houston Rockets have recovered from their recent losing streak behind a balanced high-scoring attack.

Some deeper injury woes could leave the Cleveland Cavaliers hard-pressed to snap their longest home skid of the season.

With Howard questionable to return in Cleveland, the Rockets hope to move closer to grabbing home-court advantage in the first round with their third straight win Saturday night.

Houston (46-22) scored just 96.3 points per game - 10.4 below its season average - on 42.1 percent shooting while dropping a season-high three in a row at Oklahoma City, Chicago and Miami last week.

Since then, the Rockets have rediscovered their shooting touch while averaging 126.5 points with a 57.9 field-goal percentage and 29 of 63 (46.0 percent) shooting from 3-point range in home wins over Utah and Minnesota.

Terrence Jones led six players in double figures with 30 points on 11-of-15 shooting in a 124-86 win over the Jazz on Monday. James Harden then led seven Rockets in double figures with 28 points Thursday against the Timberwolves, keying a 17-0 run that led to a 129-106 victory.

Houston had a season-high 36 assists against Minnesota after posting 31 three days earlier.

"When we move the basketball like that, everyone is going to score," Harden said. "It gives each and every guy confidence to make that right pass and to shoot the basketball."

The Rockets have gone on the surge without Howard, who has missed the past two games with a left ankle strain. The eight-time All-Star, averaging 18.6 points and a team-high 12.4 rebounds, will likely be a game-time decision as Houston tries to end its longest road slide of the season.

Omer Asik totaled 24 points and 16 boards in his last two games in Howard's place.

"Obviously we want Dwight back as soon as possible," said forward Chandler Parsons, who had 19 points, nine rebounds and five assists Thursday. "But Omer is so good you don't miss much out there on the floor."

The Rockets, 1 1/2 games back of the third-place Los Angeles Clippers and 1 1/2 ahead of fifth-place Portland, have averaged 112.5 points on 50.2 percent shooting while winning five of the last six meetings with the Cavaliers (26-43).

On Feb. 1, Harden finished with 28 points and Howard added 26 in Houston's 106-92 home win. The Rockets outscored Cleveland 62-32 in the paint and 29-10 on fast breaks.

Luol Deng and Kyrie Irving combined for 45 points in that contest, but the injury-ravaged Cavaliers could be missing both in this meeting. Irving is expected to sit at least six more games because of a strained biceps, and it's unclear how long Deng will be out due to a sprained ankle.

Cleveland signed guard Seth Curry on Friday after dressing only nine players in a 102-95 home loss to Oklahoma City on Thursday. Dion Waiters picked up the slack with 30 points, while Spencer Hawes added 20 as the Cavaliers lost their third straight to a title contender and season-worst fourth straight at home.

"The injury bug is never an excuse," guard Jarrett Jack said. "Everyone has to deal with it and we have to step up and be ready to make plays and take on the challenge."

With a 2-7 record this month, they've also fallen out of striking distance from eight-place Atlanta for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.

Waiters had 19 points and four assists in 26 minutes off the bench last month at Houston.

Copyright 2014 by STATS LLC and Associated Press. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of STATS LLC and Associated Press is strictly prohibited

Harden, Rockets beat Cavs without Howard

Posted Mar 22 2014 11:25PM

CLEVELAND (AP) The Houston Rockets played again without Dwight Howard. Unfortunately for the Cleveland Cavaliers, James Harden was in the building.

Harden scored 37 points, including 17 in the third quarter, and the Rockets led from wire-to-wire in a 118-111 victory on Saturday night.

With Howard out for a third straight game because of a sore left ankle, Harden provided a boost. He was 9 of 15 from the field, hit five 3-pointers, made all 14 of his free throws and had 11 assists without playing the fourth quarter after Houston built a 29-point lead late in the third.

"Great players do that, they get going," Rockets coach Kevin McHale said. "I've seen James do it countless times, but that's what separates him from a lot of players. He has the ability to do that."

Harden dominated in just about every aspect of the game. He drove to the basket, buried shots from well beyond the 3-point line, converted free throws and found open teammates.

"I just tried to be aggressive and be in attack mode to get to the rim," he said. "If the drive is there, I take it. If it's not, I'll do something else. I just use my basketball instincts."

Cleveland has lost four straight and played again without point guard Kyrie Irving, who has been sidelined for three games with a strained left biceps.

Houston made its first four shots and took a quick lead in snapping a three-game road losing streak. The Rockets also strengthened their hold on the fourth spot in the Western Conference playoff race.

Dion Waiters led Cleveland with 26 points. Tyler Zeller added a career-high 23 points for the Cavaliers, who also played without forward Luol Deng (sprained left ankle).

The Rockets played their reserves for most of the fourth and Cleveland cut into the margin.

Harden had eight points and eight assists in the first quarter, which saw Cleveland coach Mike Brown call timeout twice in the first four minutes as Houston took a 17-4 lead.

The margin reached 15 points in the second period and Houston shot 59 percent in the first half.

Cleveland scored the first seven points of the third quarter to cut the lead to 67-62, but Harden's five free throws sparked a 9-0 run and the Rockets regained control. His four-point play pushed the lead to 87-70.

Harden hit a 3-pointer from the top of the key moments later, then added a dunk and another 3-pointer as the lead reached 101-72.

"Obviously, Harden had a monster game," Brown said.

Howard returned to practice Friday and participated in Saturday morning's shootaround, but didn't dress for the game. He played in each of Houston's first 66 games, but was a late scratch Monday, had a cyst removed from the ankle the following day and didn't play Thursday.

"I don't think he feels quite good enough to play, but he feels much better," McHale said before the game.

Houston is undefeated in the eight-time All-Star's absence. Howard scored 26 points and had six rebounds in the Rockets' 106-92 win over Cleveland on Feb. 1. He averages 18.6 points and 12.4 rebounds for the season.

Injuries and a brutal schedule have dropped Cleveland out of playoff contention. The Cavaliers are 2-8 in March and trail Atlanta by 6 1/2 games for the eighth spot in the Eastern Conference. Cleveland, which has also dropped games to the Los Angeles Clippers, Miami and Oklahoma City in the streak, has lost eight of 10 and has dropped five straight at home.

The Cavaliers fell behind by 24 points in Thursday's loss to the Thunder, a trend Brown is displeased with.

"That's two games in a row that we've come out and our first group has just been flat," he said. "They've been flat offensively, flat defensively. So it's been an uphill battle, especially being short-handed."

The difficult schedule continues Sunday when the Cavaliers travel to New York, which has won eight in a row. Cleveland was routed 113-86 on Jan. 30 at Madison Square Garden.

The Rockets have won four straight and six of their last seven against the Cavaliers.

Seth Curry, signed by Cleveland to a 10-day contract Friday, scored three points in eight minutes. He's the younger brother of Warriors star point guard Stephen Curry.

NOTES: Rockets guard Francisco Garcia isn't with the team because of personal reasons. ... In addition to missing Irving and Deng, the Cavaliers played without guard C.J. Miles (sprained left ankle) and forwards Anthony Bennett (strained left patellar) and Sergey Karasev (sore right knee). ... Seth Curry appeared in one game earlier this season for Memphis, playing four scoreless minutes. ... Houston plays at Charlotte on Monday.

Copyright 2014 by STATS LLC and Associated Press. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of STATS LLC and Associated Press is strictly prohibited

Notebook: Rockets 118, Cavaliers 111

THE FACT: The Rockets moved 2 1/2 games ahead of Portland in the race for fourth place and home-court advantage in the Western Conference.

THE LEAD: All-Star shooting guard James Harden collected game highs of 37 points, 11 assists, and four steals in powering the Houston Rockets (47-22) to a 118-111 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers (26-44). Small forward Chandler Parsons added 16 points and six assists for the Rockets, who also received nine points and nine rebounds from center Omer Asik. Cavaliers shooting guard Dion Waiters scored 26 points, while center Tyler Zeller had a career-high 23 points. Houston center Dwight Howard sat out his third consecutive game with a left ankle strain.

QUOTABLE: "I just tried to be aggressive and be in attack mode to get to the rim. If the shot is there, I take it. If the pass is there, I make sure I make the right pass every time. It's just a matter of me using my basketball instincts."-- Rockets shooting guard James Harden

THE STAT: Harden exploded for 29 points in a 13:16 span that bridged halftime. "The Beard" scored 12 points over the final 3:01 of the second quarter, then poured in 17 more during the first 10:15 of the third -- finishing the surge with a deep 3-pointer that gave the Rockets their largest lead of the game at 101-72. "Great players do that, they get going," Houston coach Kevin McHale said. "I've seen James do it countless times, but that's what separates him from a lot of players." Harden finished with 37 points in just 29 minutes.

TURNING POINT: The Rockets scored the first five points of the game on an Asik layup and a 3-pointer from point guard Patrick Beverley en route to seizing a 17-4 lead. Cavaliers coach Mike Brown called two timeouts in the first 3:38 to wake up his players, but it didn't work as Houston racked up 39 points in the opening quarter. "That's two games in a row that our first group has just been flat -- flat defensively and flat offensively," Brown said. "It's like an uphill battle that you're fighting, especially with us being short-handed."

QUOTABLE II: "When anybody goes off like James did, we're happy for them. That's the kind of group that we have. James is a leader, a great player, and one of the most important guys on our team, so it's always fun to watch."-- Rockets power forward Terrence Jones

HOT: The Rockets are 3-0 since Howard had a cyst and fluid removed from his ankle Tuesday. The three-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year returned to practice Friday and traveled with the team to Cleveland. ... Jones scored 12 points without missing a shot in the third quarter. ... Houston power forward Donatas Motiejunas scored 11 points on 5-for-5 shooting. ... Cavaliers rookie point guard Matthew Dellavedova tied his career highs with 14 points, six rebounds, and 10 assists. ... Cleveland center Anderson Varejao had 12 points and 11 boards off the bench.

NOT: Rockets small forward Omri Casspi played 15 scoreless minutes, missed three shots, and committed a career-high tying five turnovers. ... Jones had three fouls and zero points in the first half. ... Houston point guard Jeremy Lin missed eight of his 11 field goal attempts. ... The Cavaliers have lost a season-high five straight home games and are 15-20 at Quicken Loans Arena. ... Dellavedova made a career-high six turnovers. ... Cleveland center Spencer Hawes shot 1-for-7 from the field with three points, two rebounds, and two turnovers in 17 minutes.

QUOTABLE III: "Every game, we're short-handed, so there isn't a lot of room for mistakes. We're out there scrambling and helping one another, but they're still moving the ball. That's what makes it tough, but we have to stay with it."-- Cavaliers shooting guard Dion Waiters

GOOD MOVE: Harden and the Rockets pushed the tempo from start to finish in dishing out 31 assists against the injury-plagued Cavaliers, who were without All-Star point guard Kyrie Irving (left biceps strain), starting small forward Luol Deng (left ankle sprain), and shooting guard C.J. Miles (left ankle sprain). Houston is averaging 32.7 helpers since Howard underwent his medical procedure, including a season-high 36 assists in a 129-106 victory over Minnesota on Thursday.

BAD MOVE: Cavaliers power forward Tristan Thompson, small forward Alonzo Gee, and Hawes all started, but exerted very little early effort for the second game in a row. Brown benched the trio less than four minutes into the contest as Cleveland dug a 13-point hole and was completely dominated in the paint. The sluggish outing continued a disturbing theme for free agent to-be Hawes, who had zero rebounds in the first half for the second consecutive contest.

NOTABLE: Rookie point guard Seth Curry made his debut with the Cavaliers, scoring three points in nine minutes. The younger brother of Warriors point guard Stephen Curry appeared in one game earlier this season for Memphis. ... Rockets shooting guard Francisco Garcia (personal reasons) and power forward Greg Smith (right knee surgery) were unavailable, while rookie small forward Robert Covington and rookie shooting guard Troy Daniels are on NBA D-League assignments with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers. ... The Cavaliers also played without rookie power forward Anthony Bennett (left patellar strain), rookie small forward Sergey Karasev (right knee tendinitis), and rookie shooting guard Carrick Felix (left patellar stress fracture).